Ice Age Wolf Pup And Caribou Calf Discovered In Canada

The two baby animals are among the oldest mammal mummies in the world, and both were preserved with intact skin and fur.

The two baby animals are among the oldest mammal mummies in the world, and both were preserved with intact skin and fur.

In an “exceptional” discovery, the mummified remains of two ice age mammals, a wolf pup and a caribou calf, have been uncovered in the wild, mountainous territory of Yukon in northern Canada.

Unearthed from the melting permafrost by miners digging for gold in Dawson City, the two mummies were carbon-dated to more than 50,000 years old and are “remarkably well-preserved, with hair, skin and muscle tissue intact,” according to a statement from the Government of Yukon.

While the discovery itself was made two years ago, the “spectacular” mummies were only unveiled to the public this week, during a ceremony held in Dawson on September 13, reports The Guardian.

Discovered on July 13, 2016, the wolf pup is believed to have been around eight weeks at the time of its death.

“We want to do an ancient DNA test to see who it’s related to and look at its microbiome to see if there are gut bacteria still there,” said Julie Meachen, a carnivore morphologist at Des Moines University in Iowa who will be conducting research on the wolf pup mummy.

Meanwhile, the caribou calf is only partially preserved and essentially represents just the front half of the animal, with the head, torso, and front limbs.

According to the Canadian media outlet CBC News, the caribou mummy was actually the first of the two to be discovered by Yukon gold miners. Found in June 2016, the specimen was dug up from an area that contained an ancient bed of volcanic ash dating back to 80,000 years ago.

“These are ashes that are found in the permafrost from volcanoes in Alaska that erupted during the ice age,” said Zazula. “We think this is some of the oldest mummified soft tissue in the entire world.”

The two animals are thought to have lived in the dry tundra ecosystem of the Canadian far north and probably shared the landscape with other ice age mammals such as wooly mammoths.

Given their incredible state of preservation, these rare mummies will help researchers learn more about how animals lived 50,000 years ago. Paleontologists might even be able to zero in on the animals’ cause of death, in addition to investigating their age, diet, and genetics.

The wolf pup and caribou calf are currently on display at the Danoja Zho Cultural Centre in Dawson City, which will house the precious mummies for the rest of the month.

The two specimens have been accepted for conservation by the Canadian Conservation Institute due to their “scientific significance,” specified the Yukon government.